


Breathless

by orphicserenade



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bartender Lance (Voltron), Clubbing, Dancer Keith (Voltron), Late at Night, M/M, Pining Lance (Voltron), Poetic, Teasing, chasing in circles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-08-05 00:29:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16357154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphicserenade/pseuds/orphicserenade
Summary: When the night time parties died away into a soft silence, Lance wondered if he would ever solve the mystery of Keith. He was a mystery, an enigma, one that Lance wished to know beyond the walls of the club. His hesitation left a chasm in between, his words disappearing from his lips as he feared to ask.Tonight would be different though. Tonight, Lance was going to get the boy.





	Breathless

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ProfessionalMess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProfessionalMess/gifts).



> This piece was written for the Klance Poetry Exchange. The poem I was given was 'The Party' by Bo Burnham, which was interesting and thought provoking in many ways. I thoroughly enjoyed writing for it and I may add more to it later when I have time. I hope that the person I am giving it to, ProfessionalMess, will also have fun reading it.
> 
> Please check the rest of the collection to see the lovely works that other people in the exchange have made - it was a lovely event and I am having a wonderful time reading everyone's work. 
> 
> Thank you to all the people who helped to push me along. In particular, my friend [Loki](http://lokiitama.tumblr.com/) was the greatest person I went to for support along this journey. Keeping me going at early hours, even when I felt as if I wasn't going to finish and doing the final check for me - I am thankful to have had their support and cheering!
> 
> Please click on the heart for a song to listen to whilst reading.

[{ ❦ }](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31crA53Dgu0)

 

The fast paced club was the place where Lance thrived.

 

Warm lighting beckoned to the outside world, enticing customers to enter. He drew them into conversation with ease, hot whispers weaving amongst the ringing boom of music. Lance was the favourite, especially when he winked and gave a show with the drinks.

 

Yet in the distant morning when it all shut down for the day, there was a mystery which flowed into daylight times.

 

Keith.

 

The dancer who tipped back shots, the bitterness sliding down his throat with a bob of his Adam’s apple. Caught the glass between his hand as Lance slid it down the table, fingers curling around - _effortless_ \- as he continued to chatter.

 

Lithe and lean, a low sultry voice, unpredictable daredevil-

 

Lance knew better.

 

Knew the end of the shift meant a change of character - a butterfly fluttering from its cocoon.

 

For the 3am-4am Keith was different - an intimate secret between Lance and him. Sharp edges softened by the sun’s ascend to the sky. Bursts of chuckles, a rare gift which came with the right words said. Comfortable silences coupled with

 

the quiet hum of Sia’s songs.

 

Keith built his walls up beyond the clouds. The defences around him were tightened; the cracks and holes always hidden. He was a dream for most, but he did not dream. Trust was withheld from all - except a person called Shiro - and he allowed his deeply rooted instincts to guide him.

 

Like the tiger burning bright, he hid the smoldering fire within him in the strengthening shadows of the day. Neither creature nor man could hide it for eternity, for it would reveal itself.

 

The glow of life showed when he chased the waywards strands of hair, tucking them behind a moonlit ear.

 

Like now.

 

“Get off the counter!”

 

Lance wasn’t about to be distracted from his job, even if it was Keith in front of him.

 

Keith, whose eyelashes were too long to be natural; Lance was convinced he was wearing eyelash extensions or mascara. Keith, who hummed and sang off-key, but danced as if dancing was his only purpose. Keith, who acted without thinking, yet he laced sincerity, honesty - determination - in every fibre of himself.

 

“Make me.”

 

As if he was going to back down from the challenge.

 

Gathering up his courage, Lance shot Keith an unimpressed look as he strided over to the dancer.

 

“Oh I’ll make you-”

 

The quirk of Keith’s brow and the twitch of his lips spoke of amusement. He faltered upon catching it.

 

KO.

 

“What were you going to say?” Keith teased as he perched upon the countertops, a place that he was _not_ allowed to sit.

 

How much further did Lance have to fall before his defences crumbled at touch?

 

A castle protected his scarred heart - a castle that Keith had come to reign as king. Soon, he would pierce through the weakened barriers, to find the treasure within. The treasure that was hardly a treasure with the state that it was in, torn and aching, stitched up by trembling hands.

 

It was an insult to call it as such, but it was Lance’s prized possession.

 

One of the things people could never snatch away from him if he tried hard enough. However, Keith with his switching over day and night, robbed the breath from his lungs, the yearning desire coiling around his ribcage. He chased the fear from his mind, leaving attraction in its wake. He shouted into the depths, sending quivers across his body, his soul giving a knowing shudder - this was the _one_.

 

“Get off!” Lance made a swipe at Keith, only for him to dodge the expected movement gracefully to land on the floor.

 

“Now I have to clean the counter again because it has all your germs all over it!” Came the grumble as he stepped behind the counter to get a cloth.

 

For a moment, Keith’s eyes were upon his figure, scaldingly intense. As Lance turned around, he was looking ahead at one of the posters.

 

“You have horrible taste in posters.” He remarked, although it was not the first time he made the comment. Needless to say, the two of them always had a heated argument followed by a joking dance contest whenever it happened.

 

Lance let the comment run its usual course, eager to be delighted by a dance.

  

“I didn’t choose the posters-”

 

 “From the way I’ve seen you move during Shakira,” Keith scanned Lance’s body and smirked, “your hips don’t lie, but you are lying right now.”

 

The hot lick of Keith’s fire flared, warmth cast upon him. His cheeks burned from the hidden compliment, hope glowing in his chest. It relieved the tension brought forth by the longing, but Lance knew what he had to do to keep this going.

 

Retaliate.

 

“Well how do you know that? Going all mind reader on me right now-”

 

“Your ears twitch slightly when you lie.”

 

There was no escaping that one. His hands instantly went up, covering the offending parts as his companion chuckled. As beautiful and enthralling as the laugh was, no Lance did not appreciate being laughed at.

 

“As if you have any better ideas, mullet! Your whole playlist must be full of emo music!”

 

“Your playlist must have all the Taylor Swift songs then!” Keith doesn’t even give him a break before attacking back. “Your alarm in the morning is going to be some kind of song like Shake It Off.”

 

They knew each other well enough at this point to be doing a back and forth argument. Neither of them was going to back down, and Lance could already envision the face Keith had when he won.

 

Hair messed up by a hand, a carefree smile, his walls down - Lance adored the trust Keith gave him willingly then, even if it was brief.

 

Unless Keith was insanely oblivious though, Lance also was being teased.

 

He had no courage, but he certainly did not appreciate having a possibility dangling in front of him. One of these days, Lance would call Keith out for it - not today though.

 

“Hey! Don’t say that about Tay Tay-”

 

“You just proved my point!” They both knew who was winning this round, but he was going down fighting.

 

“Shut up Keith!”

 

“Heh.” The smirk that Keith produced was one day going to be the death of Lance.

 

“Don’t you ‘heh’ at me you stupid mullet?”

 

“We both know who won this round.”

 

“I can still keep going! We haven’t even _started_ on the rest of your bad playlist like-”

 

Keith’s phone pinged and he plucked it off the table where it lay. After scanning the message he slid off, heading towards the door.

 

“I need to go for now - Shiro’s waiting outside for me.”

 

“Catch you later then,” Lance slides down the counter to a position where he could see Keith better as he left. “When are you coming in this week again?”

 

“Not coming in until next week.”

 

Shooting up into an upright position from his lean on the countertop, he stared.

 

“What?!”

 

The light from the street lamps peered in as Keith opened the door.

 

“See you next week Lance.”

 

One week to let his emotions fester again, only to back out as soon as he had the chance. One week with no one to talk to as he cleaned up. One week without Keith.

 

Lance admitted that he was hiding in fear of rejection, but the prospects and possibilities outweighed the fear.

 

“Keith!” He shouted over the countertop to the figure that was about to disappear off.

 

He stopped, a foot out as his head turned slightly. The lustrous moon illuminated his features, flecks of vivid purple radiant against his paleness. Lance held his breath.

 

“Do you want to uh… go out for coffee sometime later this week?”

 

Curse the stutter in his voice right now - he had one sentence to say, yet he couldn’t even get that right.

 

“I don’t like coffee.” That was a problem easily solved.

 

“Tea then! Doesn’t have to be coffee, I just want to you know-”

   
  
“Okay. Message me.” The door began to close as realisation dawned on Lance.

 

“I don’t have your number!”

 

Outside, Keith leaned against the frame of the door, stifling a chuckle as he listened to the muffled protests.

  

Lance didn’t have his number on his phone, but if he searched hard enough, he would find it. After all, Keith did slip his number into the charming bartender’s apron on the first day they met.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this piece and I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> If you have any constructive criticism or things that you enjoyed, please leave a comment below and I will try my best to take it all into account next time I write.
> 
> My private messages on [twitter](https://twitter.com/orphicwaltz) are always open for discussion as well.


End file.
